Last updated on November 7th, 2023
Magazines are a great source of information and entertainment. But magazines are also the products that the owner needs to sell in a market where hundreds of magazines exist. To catch the buyers’ attention is also an issue with magazine cover designers. They struggle with many design ideas to ultimately find out one approach that would click with the reading audience.
Remember that a magazine cover that is not just attractive but also conveys the main story idea is an ideal design. But that is not an easy job to accomplish even for a professional with many years of experience. For example, there is a set magazine size of around 8 by 11 inches or so to incorporate main design elements to communicate the story idea with an impact on viewers.
Then, there are numerous elements of text, touch up photos, illustrations, etc. that need to be accommodated well in that limited space to create the best cover magazine. Another crucial point to note about magazine cover design is that the designer must consider the printing aspects as well.
Although most magazines can be read online today, still printed versions continue to be popular for reading pleasure. As a beginner, you can use various magazine cover templates available online as well.
Key Magazine Cover Design Considerations
i. Contrasting Text Placement
Usually, either an illustration or a photograph is the main attractive element of the magazine cover design. You should make the images appealing and impactful by creating a contrast between dark regions and light ones on the cover. In this way, you will make the text readable. So, set the text in light against a dark background and vice versa.
ii. Make Right Text Color Choices
While black and white are mostly the colors for subtitles, it is the colors for the main titles that needed to be considered wisely. A usual approach to design magazine covers is to pick the title colors that match with some attractive and instantly visible areas. But you can also pick a color that is absent on the cover and compliments only a dominant color tone to design cover magazine.
iii. Experiment With 3D Text
A magazine cover does not have to be necessarily a plan cover. So, how about incorporating some 3D elements? A technique to create a 3D effect is to partially hide the magazine title text with a big illustration or photograph.
iv. Insert Many Short Teaser Lines
A magazine color should be able to sell a story. There are many aspects of a cover story. One of the modern approaches to telling a story through the cover page is to insert many short lines here and there on the cover page.
Some of these lines are bold while others are in italic fonts. You can highlight the silent feature of a story through these cleverly placed short lines.
Your magazine cover must tell a story efficiently. So, when you hire a freelance graphic designer, make sure that the designer has the right skills and experience.
Here Are The Top Freelance Magazine Cover Designers You Can Think Of Hiring To Illustrate Your Cover Story
01. Studio 1 Hub
Studio 1 Hub is one of Designhill’s top freelance designers. The designer is experienced in beautiful magazine cover designs and has won 29 contests. This United Kingdom-based designer is known to work on various projects. Look at the portfolio, and you’ll understand the quality of work.
02. Ashley (ashtree) Erasmus
Hailing from South Africa, Ashley is known for designing striking magazine covers. The freelance designer’s portfolio gives a clue of his creativity.
He has experience of the marketing and advertising industry and has strong skills in layout designs, graphics, typography and more. He has won contests, which proves his mettle in this field.
03. Deivis Guevara
Deivis Guevara is a creative designer who designs eye-catching magazine design. With many years of experience in hand, Guevara is specialized in logo, app, illustrator, UI and many other designs. This Peru-designer has left behind an impression with excellent artwork.
04. Stemax
Among various magazine cover designers, you should pick Stemax for his flair for creativity. This Brazil-based designer has provided eye-catching solutions to multiple clients, crafting persuasive covers for print magazines as well as digital magazines.
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05. Format Wars
The Netherlands-based freelance graphic designer has 12 years of experience in the domain. That speaks volumes about creativity that the designer must be having. The designer is an expert in book and magazine cover design. You can visit the portfolio of the designer to check more!
06. Boris
Boris is someone who makes designs work for your business. With many years spent in designing, Boris has designed some of the most refreshing and eye-catching magazine covers for clients across various industries.
07. Lukasiewicz.aleksander
Hailing from Poland, Lukasiewicz.aleksander is known for creating unique magazine cover designs. The designer has experience in both digital and printing industry. With 15 years of experience, Lukasiewicz.aleksander ensures whatever he designs provides value to your bucks.
08. Red
The US-based designer’s portfolio is an exemplification of creativity at its best. Glancing through the designer’s portfolio helps you uncover unique magazine cover designs for many clients.
09. Mrizwanmmc
Mrizwanmmc is a Pakistan based designer with seven years of experience in the field. He loves to design unique magazine covers for various clients. When it comes to creativity, he infuses specific color patterns and elements to make the result wow everyone.
10. Siderismaris
Siderismaris is from Romania. She’s specialized in logo, identity, stationery, and publishing design. She’s creative and communicates with her designs. Glance through her portfolio to find some awesome magazine cover designs.
11. Arinihidayati00
Simplicity when merges with modern elements, unique design is born. That’s what you find when you visit the portfolio of Arinihidayati00. The Indonesia based designer has worked on various projects for magazine cover designs. The designer is fond of art, design, food and anime!
12. Panthera Designs
Panthera Designs aka Anisa is a London-based graphic designer who’s also a fearless seeker of knowledge. The portfolio of the designer uncovers some of the best magazine for Technical Articles.
13. Ssm Design Shop
With 100% customer satisfaction, Ssm Design Shop leaves no stone unturned to design unique magazine covers for his clients. The freelance designer has worked on various projects and has 5 years of industry experience. So far, the designer is known for providing value for every buck spent.
14. Shritaa1
Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, Shritaa1 is one of the top magazine cover designers. The designer has over ten years of experience in Adobe, Illustrator and Photoshop. The designer is an expert in creating catchy print-ready designs.
15. Graphic Soul
Graphic soul from Bangladesh is known for one-of-a-kind magazine cover designer. The designer’s portfolio is all about magazine covers with beautiful elements and color themes.
These are the top freelance magazine cover designers with the right amount of skills and experience to create unique cover designs. Make sure that you compare their design styles and see which one is the right designer for the cover you wish to design.
Designhill is a creative marketplace, where you hire not only individual designers but also launch design contests. You can access many design ideas for your magazine covers or other designs at one price.
Wrapping Up
Magazine covers give a hint of what is there in the inner pages of a magazine and what is the main cover story all about. But a designer has to come out with a unique idea to convey the story through colors, typefaces, images, and such elements. Magazine cover designers are the experienced professionals who know how the cover design works to attract potential buyers of magazines. These are the top freelancers who can create unique covers for your next issue of the magazine.
